


Startin' as a Farmer with a Brand New Wife

by supercantaloupe



Series: A Brand New State [1]
Category: Oklahoma! - Rodgers/Hammerstein
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Domestic, F/M, Married Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-18 23:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20321188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supercantaloupe/pseuds/supercantaloupe
Summary: Curly and Will catch up together, reminiscing about the lives they left behind and the lives in store ahead of them. Laurey and Annie do the same.





	Startin' as a Farmer with a Brand New Wife

**Author's Note:**

> Characters and events are as depicted in the 2019 Broadway revival of Oklahoma! directed by Daniel Fish. See below for details.

While both the Parkers and the Mclains agreed they loved their new settled lives as married couples, there was still something they all missed about their younger, more carefree selves in their bachelor days. And really, it had been an awful long time since any party had spent so much as a few hours away from their spouse, so Laurey made a plan to get all the work done early today so they could send their husbands off to be foolish together while she and Ado Annie caught up alone. By mid-afternoon the bulk of the chores were done and Will and Annie came ambling together up the path to the farmhouse. Laurey greeted them warmly and called Curly out front from wherever he was working in the yard. The two men clasped hands and pulled each other into a hug, slapping each other on the back and laughing like the good old pals they were. The women waved them off and they left together, hopping on their horses and heading into town. Meanwhile Laurey laid down the ramp up the porch steps and went inside the house with Ado Annie, who was already beginning to chatter away about various goings-on that went on since their respective weddings. 

* * *

The two cowboys at heart took their time heading into town. They joked and teased as they caught up, showing off on their horses like the kids they were -- are -- just like old times. Once they arrived they steered themselves over to Flannigan’s, the barroom, and dismounted, tying their horses up and heading inside. Each man ordered himself a beer and headed into the back room to shoot billiards and the breeze. Curly set the balls on the table while Will chalked the cues. 

“So how’s married life treatin’ ya, Will? Miss bein’ a bachelor yet?” Curly asked amicably, lifting the rack and moving to put it away. Will laughed and handed him his cue stick. 

“There’re things I miss,” he began, walking round the end of the table and bending over a bit to set up his shot. He hit the cue ball cleanly and it smacked into the other balls with satisfying clacking noises. “But I must say I’m mighty pleased t’ be Ado Annie’s man fer good now.” He grinned at his friend and moved out of the way so Curly could take his shot. 

Curly snorted. “She ain’t weighin’ you down yet?”

“No sirree. I don’ think I could ever grow tired of that woman,” he said, leaning on his cue stick with a dopey grin of deep affection. He sighed contentedly. “She’s really perfect, Curly.”

Curly shot and landed a ball in one of the pockets. “Stripes,” he said, nodding. “Don’ miss bein’ able t’ _ carry on _no more, huh?”

“Well, sure, I miss it a _ little _ ,” Will conceded, tilting his head a bit before standing up off the cue stick and moving round the table. “But I’m real happy with Annie. She treats me _ real _nice.” He grinned again, broadly, and stuck his ass out a little further than necessary as he positioned himself for his next shot. Curly snorted again. “Whut about’chu?”

“What about me?” Curly chuckled, sipping his beer.

“Y’ like bein’ married or do ya miss bein’ a bachelor yet yerself?” 

Curly set his drink down and moved round the table again, planning his next shot. “Naw...miss ranchin’ more'n anythin’ else, but I think I took t’ farmin’ pretty good myself.” He shot and sunk another ball into a pocket. 

“An’ Laurey? How’s she treatin’ you, you two gettin’ along?”

Curly leaned on his cue stick and sighed, looking at nothing in particular. “Think it’s goin’ well ‘enough,” he said after a moment of contemplation. “We’re happy t’gether, I think.”

Will glanced up at him at that, and hit his next shot off-center, knocking the cue ball off course and into the far pocket. “Aw, shoot,” he said, making a face. “Whudd’ya mean, you think?”

Curly shrugged slightly and retrieved the cue ball, determining where to set it for his next shot. “Well, _ I’m _ happy, at least...love Laurey more’n I can say.” He looked content, and laughed at his younger self for being so stupid about that. How much a person can change in only a few months. “An’ I’m sure she likes me plenty, too. ‘s jist...well, it was hard, adjustin’ at first.” 

Will drank his beer and quirked an eyebrow at Curly to continue. Curly shot, missed his mark, and stood up, rolling his head a bit.

“Well, it was hard, gettin’ on after the weddin’, y’know.” Will nodded. He remembered what happened. “Course we wasn’t gonna jist ferget ‘bout it overnight. Don’t think it’s somethin’ a feller’ll ever quite _ ferget _. But…” He thumbed the tip of his cue stick, chalk rubbing onto his fingers. “Think it’s takin’ Laurey a bit longer’n me.”

Will looked sympathetic, and came over to clap a hand on his buddy’s back. “Hey, you’ll get there. You two’re great fer each other, you’ll get on.”

Curly smiled at his friend and shoved him aside, playfully. “C’mon now. ‘s yer shot.”

Will took another drink and then shot, finally sinking a ball of his own. “‘m sure you will. Seen how you two get on t’gether.” Curly snorted, agreeing. 

“An’ you an’ Annie are as well, I take it?” Will nodded. “We ain’t seen you folks round much fer a while, been busy?” Will shrugged and Curly moved again to take his next shot. “Don’ tell me it’s ‘cause y’all’re _ already _ lookin’ after a litter of young’uns of yer own.” Will, who had been taking a sip of his drink, coughed and sputtered. Curly laughed. Guess that was a sore subject? 

Will laughed and coughed until he could breathe relatively normally again, then punched Curly’s arm. “Don’ even joke ‘bout that, you.”

“Whut? Don’t’chu want any?”

Will pursed his lips and tilted his head, then went back to the billiards table. “‘ventually. Not quite yet…’s still kinda soon, ain’t it? Know Annie wants some, but...shoot, call me selfish, but I jist want her all t’ myself a little while longer.” He grinned and shot, sinking another ball into the pocket with a satisfying thunk.

“Mm, I hear that,” Curly said, lifting his glass slightly like a toast and taking a drink. 

Will stood up again, then leaned on his cue stick, smiling at nothing in particular. “Guess it’d be nice t’ have my own kid, though. A boy I could raise, teach ‘im t’ ride ‘n’ rope myself.” He glanced at his friend, who was busy setting up another shot. “You an’ Laurey ever think ‘bout it?”

Curly swung, sinking yet another ball. Will made a protesting noise, but he was never a great pool player anyway. “I dunno. Maybe someday. We ain’t talked about it yet, though.” 

“Naw?”

“Mm-mm,” Curly grunted as he took another drink. “...Think we still gotta get used t’ jist us first. Still got a ways t’ go.”

“Mm. Well, yer still young, ain’t’chu?” Will said, picking up his own beer. “Y’all still got time.”

“An’ you too.”

Will chuckled lightly and smirked, then held out his glass. “Hey. To marriage.”

Curly smiled back. “To marriage,” he toasted, clinking his glass against his friend’s. “May it treat us well.”

“Hear, hear!”  


* * *

“...an’ ‘e tells me I’m gonna hafta either go out to th’ crick an’ get it myself or I’m _ ess oh ell _ . An’ I told ‘im, first of all, that ain’t _ no _ way t’ speak to a _ lady _ , what would ‘is momma say if’n she could hear ‘im now? An’ sec’n’, there ain’t _ no _ way _ I’m _ gettin’ in that crick, has ‘e _ seen _ these boots? I ain’t gonna get ‘em ruined with no _ pond scum _, shoot.” Ado Annie had a tendency to let her stories go on quite a bit, and at the speed of a train, no less. Luckily it wasn’t Laurey’s first rodeo, and years of being her friend had taught her how to keep up. She chuckled and rolled her eyes at Annie’s story as she finished up in the kitchen. 

“Lord, you ain’t really said that to ‘im, did’ju?”

“Darn tootin’, I did.” Annie looked smug. 

“Lands, Annie. How d'you get on when you act that-a-way?”

“Get along jist fine, thank y’ kindly,” Ado Annie stuck out her chin and smirked. 

“Yeah, yeah. Git’ch’erself on out t’ the porch, why don’t’chu, I’ll be right out.” Ado Annie swatted at her lightly with her hand, then moved past her out to the back porch. Laurey stirred the pitcher of ice tea she was brewing, then pulled two glasses down from the cabinet and brought them out with her. She handed one glass to Annie, who had just settled herself into one of the rocking chairs, and poured her a drink. Then she poured one for herself, set the pitcher down on the table between them, and sat down in the other chair with a sigh. 

“You doin’ well, Laurey?” Ado Annie asked, sipping her iced tea.

Laurey stared out over the yard, relaxed and pleasant. “Yeah. I am.”

“Tired?”

“Mm, a bit. Had t’ get extra work done in th’ mornin’ so’s we could do this,” she tilted her head to the side and smiled at Ado Annie, who giggled and smiled back. “So, I ain’t seen you in a while, tell me. How’s it like, bein’ Will Parker’s girl ‘fficially?”

“It’s _ great _ ,” she said, almost growling with enthusiasm, and tossing her head a little bit. It made Laurey laugh. “I _ love _ that man.”

“I could say so.” Laurey sipped her iced tea again. It was sweet and refreshing in the heat of the summer evening. “You don’t do no more _ carryin’ on _, do you?”

“Oh, I carry on plenty,” Ado Annie replied nonchalantly. Laurey had a slight coughing fit and shot her a look. Annie giggled. “‘s jist with Will now, don’t’chu worry.” 

“Do you really never think ‘bout _ anythin’ _else?”

“Course I do. But _ you _ brought it up.”

“I--” Laurey huffed, conceding. 

Ado Annie laughed again. “Yeah, we get along well. He’s goofy, but sweet.” She grinned. “I like that ‘bout ‘im.” Laurey picked up her glass of iced tea and took another sip, rolling her eyes. “Well? How ‘bout you?”

“How ‘bout me what?” Laurey asked.

“How’s yer man?”

“Curly?” she asked, as if either of them really needed clarification. Why did she even need to question it? They’d been married a couple months now, it wasn’t like it was a secret or a shame to say it. She looked off into the yard again. “...He’s great. ‘m real happy.”

Ado Annie regarded her friend carefully. “Why’d y’ pause?” Laurey turned her head and caught her eye, frowning slightly. 

“Huh?”

“Well, ain’t’chu sure?”

“Sure?” Laurey looked forward again and considered this. “Course I’m sure. I married ‘im, didn’t I?”

“Well’re you happy since then?” 

Laurey breathed quietly. “Happier than I was. I’m sure...well, you remember, ain’t’chu?” 

“Mm-hmm.” Ado Annie nodded, looking forward herself, and idly wondering if she crossed some kind of line. Maybe she ought’n’t’ve brought it up. The wedding was a touchy subject...well, Laurey was the one who brought it up in the first place, wasn’t she? Annie shrugged and figured she was probably okay.

Laurey sighed again, quiet. She closed her eyes. “‘m happy now. I swear...Curly’s sweet, he’s a good farmhand. We’re gettin’ along.” Her tone sounded like she might’ve been trying to convince herself.

“You two _ carry on _ at all?” Annie asked, cheeky.

“Wh--_ Annie! _” Laurey’s eyes opened again and she turned her head to shoot a look at the other girl, who was giggling like mad. 

“Well, you asked _ me! _”

Laurey reached over and smacked her on the arm, pursing her lips and blushing a little. Annie could tell she was trying not to grin, though, and failing.

“There’s that smile!” she exclaimed, bright. Laurey’s expression softened, and she began to laugh, letting herself fully smile back.

“Thanks, Annie,” Laurey said, sighing contentedly again after they were done their giggling. “...an’ anyway, I _ am _ happy.”

“Y’are?”

“Yeah. Y’know when he comes in from th’ field in the evenin’ smellin’ all like hay, an’ ‘e comes in from the back while I’m fixin’ supper in the kitchen, ‘e comes in almost every night an’ wraps ‘is arms ‘round me tight. Kisses my neck all soft like that...bats ‘is eyes and looks at me all dreamy like. Sometimes ‘e’ll grab ‘is guitar an’ start singin’...he’s almost too sweet t’ bear it.”

“Yeah?” Annie smiled, warm and pleasant. 

“Yeah. Think sometimes I get lost in those arms a’ his.” Laurey sighed, a small, dreamy smile on her lips. She crossed her arms, hugging them close to herself. “...it ain’t perfect yet. But we’re gettin’ there.”

They both sipped their iced tea, looking out over the yard. The sun was just beginning to consider retiring for the night, and it cast a golden haze over the world. 

“‘s nice out here,” Annie said after a short silence. “You gotch’urself a good quiet farm t’ run.”

“Well, ‘s still Aunt Eller’s, I reckon, but it’s family land.” 

“You ever think ‘bout raisin’ a family, Laurey?” Ado Annie asked. Laurey turned and looked at her, frowning slightly, like she hadn’t expected the question, which she hadn’t.

“Huh? ...well, me an’ Curly only just got started t’gether,” she began slowly, like she was thinking carefully about her words before talking. Truth be told, she had never given it much serious thought before. “Ain’t talked ‘bout it with ‘im, yet. Still pretty early, too...ain’t gotta rush nothin’.”

Annie nodded slightly. “Do y’ _ want _ to?”

“Do I _ want _ to?” Laurey repeated. “...wanna have a kid, you mean?” Annie nodded. Laurey looked back out at the yard. “...I dunno. Dunno what Curly’d want, neither, if’n he’d rather have me all to himself fer a while…’s awful nice and quiet out, too.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “What about’chu, huh? You ‘n’ Will think you’d wanna have some yerself?”

A mischievous but giddy expression crept onto Ado Annie’s face. Silently, she held out her hands and pointed to herself, to her belly. Laurey looked at her, confused for half a second, then her eyes widened.

“_ Noo, _ ” Laurey gasped. Annie nodded quickly, grinning brightly. “Annie! Yer _ kiddin’! _”

“Naw, ‘s true! I ain’t foolin’!” 

“Yer sure?” Laurey couldn’t seem to pick her up jaw.

“Mhm!” Ado Annie wiggled a little in her seat, too excited to sit still. 

“Does Will know?” Annie shook her head and Laurey looked dumbfounded.

“I ain’t told ‘im yet.”

“_Annie!!_” Laurey sounded almost horrified. “Does ‘e even _ want _ kids?”

“Aw, ‘e says he don’t, ‘e says he wants me all to hisself but...I c’n tell. He’d be thrilled t’ have a little one of ‘is own.” 

Laurey exhaled, whistling slightly. “_Wow _ ,” was all she could say at first. “Annie, that’s unbe_iev_able. Yer gonna be a _ momma. _”

“I know! Ain’t it ‘xcitin’?” Ado Annie couldn’t stop grinning. Laurey smiled back at her and reached out a hand to pat her on the arm. 

“It really is. ‘m happy fer you two,” Laurey said, genuine and warm. 

“Maybe someday you’ll have some a’ yer own too.” Ado Annie laughed. “An’ maybe then they c’n be play partners, keep each other busy!”

Laurey chuckled. “Yeah, maybe someday. Hey,” she said, picking up her glass and held it out. “To family.”

Ado Annie smiled, happy and serene, and picked up her own glass. She clinked it against Laurey’s. “To family.”

**Author's Note:**

> This work is written with the 2019 revival cast in mind. Look that production up if you're unfamiliar; it's fantastic as much as it is unusual and unconventional in its casting, and a loose familiarity with this production and cast will help with reading this work. Most noteworthy,this production changes the wedding scene and finale, wherein instead of falling on his knife, Jud gives Curly a pistol and is subsequently shot in the chest. I have chosen to use this interpretation of Oklahoma! as the basis of my work, so if things seem to go against the familiar source material, this might be why.


End file.
